Water Naga

Dear Readers: We have done it.  With today’s entry, we have finished one of the Pathfinder Bestiaries.  That’s right: Finished.  Every.  Monster.

Okay, okay, granted, it was the Bonus Bestiary, which was all of 16 pages and had only 13 monsters.  But to get here, we had to go from allip to lammasu to shadow mastiff and all the monsters in between—a journey of 34 months.  Each new letter has been a bit of a milestone, but now that we get to close an entire book (even a really skinny one) I know we've truly hit a landmark.

So, on to the water naga.  The water naga is kind of the “normal naga.”  Many of the other nagas exhibit strange obsessions (especially lunar and spirit nagas) or are called to fulfill ancient functions (especially guardian and royal nagas).  Water nagas just are.  They’re the naga you wind up with in the wandering monster chart of a wilderness or river journey.  They're the troublesome creatures in the lagoon encountered on the way to the Skull of Whatever.

But even they have their special quirks.  Near their lairs, they are guarded and territorial.  But water nagas migrate—increasing the chances of an encounter en route between their summer and winter lairs—and are proud of doing so—which means they are keen to take in new experiences and share tales, rumors, personal anecdotes, and sorcerous magic.  So the naga you meet on the road, if approached respectfully (and with flattery), might well turn out to be a boon traveling companion.  Just don’t expect to go visiting one at home without an invite…

A water naga regularly attends the gatherings of Willowheart’s fey court as an honored guest.  This year she found nothing but shredded pixie wings and odd-colored blood.  Coming upon adventurers in the woods, she assumes they are the culprits and attacks.  But if she can be made to parley, she might hire the adventurers to solve the mystery—especially if it means crossing over into the Fey Lands where she fears to slither.

The digging of the Ox-Pull Canal has opened up the Direflow to barge traffic for the first time.  But a nest of water nagas is appalled at what they see as an invading army of men and beasts of labor.  They do everything they can to poison the oxen and sink the barges without exposing themselves to the arrows and blades of the lightermen.

Twice a year, Dedrick’s Hollow becomes an unusual hive of activity.  Years ago during a surprise spring blizzard, an innkeeper cautiously offered his hospitality to a water naga stranded during her migration.  Pleased by the hospitality and enchanted by the bard’s tales she heard from her balcony above the common room, the naga stayed a week, and returned with two friends in the fall.  The nagas’ habit of exchanging gold necklaces for goods and services eased the other townsfolk’s suspicions, and now Dedrick’s Hollow is a regular stopover point for migrating water nagas. Adventures looking for unusual rumors and unorthodox informants would do well to visit here.  But while the nagas may be on their best behavior in town, they are less polite if encountered in the nearby woods, especially when magic items are involved.

—Pathfinder Bonus Bestiary 14 & Pathfinder Bestiary 3 199

Looking for the water mephit?  We gotcha covered.

Given the landmark nature of this post, I apologize it was late.  But I had good reasons: In addition to health issues close to home, I was saying goodbye to a college classmate who died unexpectedly 1) after being married only three months and 2) just short of his degree.  Here is Preach as I knew him as a freshman; here is one of the many things he would go on to accomplish; he was awarded his doctorate posthumously.

Original placeholder post below:

Today’s a (kind of) big day for The Daily Bestiary.  (See if you can guess why!  Hint: It involves the water naga and a nerdy, purely personal and Pathfinder-related milestone.)  Unfortunately it’s a bad day for me in terms of life workload.  So the water naga may have to take a backseat to life this evening.

I’m on the way to my way to Atlanta tomorrow and hope to catch up on both the water naga and the water orm on the plane.  That said, I’m going to a memorial service, so bear with me if no entries happen tomorrow.  I love this blog, but life and people come first.